A quick look at Vanderbilt's early NCAA Tournament exits in recent years:

March 21, 2008

The result: No. 13 seed Siena 83, No. 4 seed Vanderbilt 62

The Commodores: Vanderbilt (26-7, 10-6 SEC before the NCAA Tournament) entered the game with high expectations after advancing to the Sweet 16 in 2007 and returning several familiar faces. After rattling off a seven-game winning streak in February, the Commodores had lost three of their final five entering the tournament, including to Arkansas in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals.

The opponent: Siena had tied for first place in the MAAC with a 13-5 league record (it entered the NCAA Tournament 22-10 overall) and knocked off co-champ Rider by 21 points in the conference tournament championship game.

What happened: On a day all four double-digit seeds won in Tampa, Siena -- a popular pretournament upset pick -- scored the game’s first five points and had built a 12-point lead by halftime. Behind 30 points from Kenny Hasbrouck and a 6-of-6 performance from beyond the 3-point arc from freshman Tay Fisher, the Saints never let the Commodores even feign a comeback attempt. Siena lost two days later to No. 12 seed Villanova.

March 18, 2010

The result: No. 13 seed Murray State 66, No. 4 seed Vanderbilt 65

The Commodores: Vanderbilt, which finished 24-9 (12-4 SEC), was ranked as high as 13th in the AP poll in early March, but it lost its final regular-season game at home to a middling South Carolina squad, then was upended in the SEC Tournament semifinals by NIT-bound Mississippi State.

The opponent: Murray State dominated the Ohio Valley Conference, rolling up a 17-1 league record and then cruising though the conference tournament. The Racers were 30-4 overall entering the NCAA Tournament.

What happened: Perhaps motivated by President Obama’s upset pick, Murray State led by four at halftime and quickly increased its advantage to eight points after the break. The Commodores rallied, though, and took a one-point lead on a pair of free throws by Jermaine Beal with 12.7 seconds left. Murray State airballed a 3-point attempt with seven seconds left, but the ball glanced off a Vanderbilt player and went out of bounds. After a timeout, Danero Thomas hit a jumper as the buzzer sounded. Murray State lost by two points in the next round to No. 5 seed Butler, which went on to the national title game.

March 17, 2011

The result: No. 12 seed Richmond 69, No. 5 seed Vanderbilt 66

The Commodores: Vanderbilt, which finished 23-11 (9-7 SEC), was ranked in the AP poll for nine weeks — never higher than 18th — but lost three of its final four regular-season games, all to NCAA-bound teams. The Commodores had an eight-point halftime lead on 12th-ranked Florida in the SEC Tournament semifinals but couldn’t secure the win.

The opponent: Richmond, which featured a talented, veteran roster led by big man Justin Harper and guard Kevin Anderson, finished third in the Atlantic 10 with a 13-3 league mark and won the A-10 Tournament to secure an automatic bid. The Spiders were 27-7 overall entering the NCAA Tournament.

What happened: In its history, Richmond had already won six NCAA tourney games as a double-digit seed. Vanderbilt jumped out to an 11-point lead in the first half, but Richmond rallied behind Anderson’s 25 points. Vandy had a chance to tie in the waning seconds, but Rod Odom’s 3-pointer was off the mark. Richmond knocked off 13th-seeded Morehead State in the second round to advance to the Sweet 16, where the Spiders lost to top-seeded Kansas.